The Functional Range Day!

For training that improves both the ability to shoot under physical stress and General Physical Preparedness (GPP)/conditioning, I will have what I call a functional range day. The functional range day, combines functional whole body exercises – using easy to find and transport implements – combined with shooting. I tend to use a level of resistance that’s more toward conditioning* but if I were to stack 3-4 45lb plates, or rocks, or chains, etc onto the sled, use the 120+lb sand bag I have, etc, the intensity levels go up real fast.

Anyone who has added a physical stress modifier to their shooting knows how fast shooting accuracy suffers, unless it’s something you practice, and have the strength and or conditioning for it. If you have not done something like it before, it’s harder then it looks. This vid covers a simple Functional Range day I did recently. It’s in 5 cycles. One can just do each of them once, and see how it goes, or up to 3 times each, and see how that effects your shooting. Obviously, it will depend on what condition you are in to start with, etc.

It’s not intended as PT per se, but obviously that will be the result of such training, ergo, an improvement in GPP, endurance, and strength (as well as shooting proficiency under stress!) depending on the condition you are in already, intensity/loading used, etc.

It’s simple and easy to set up, and the variations, virtually endless. I try and do this type of training 1-2 per month if I can, more often if possible.I’m not a shooting instructor (and my shooting reflects that!), so I make no specific recs there per se. On that range, I was shooting at steel upper torso shape target about half real person size at 20-10 yards aiming for center mass/upper chest. If one wants to track groupings, etc, paper targets, smaller steal plates, etc can also be used. Here’s a recent Functional Range Day:

Will Brink is the owner of the Brinkzone Blog. Will has over 15 years experience as a respected author, columnist and consultant, to the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industry and has been extensively published. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.

His often ground breaking articles can be found in publications such as Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors.

3 Responses for Functional Fitness For Shooters.

Gonath :

September 07, 2010 06:21 pm

Fantastic to see fitness/strength routine applied to a sport, presumably for potential competition. I was just blogging the other day about things I learned in 2010 and "Become an Athlete" was one of them. Adding sports and/or competition (I consider shooting one of them) to the mix is huge. Thanks Will !

I am a living, breathing example of somebody who took the BBR workouts and nutriton and eventually (after a couple years of just weight training) and applied to sports competition——it got me out of a rut, gave me a new zest for workouts and got me involved in something bigger than me .

I try Gonath, thanx! Although the stuff I'm doing in this vid could be used to help prepare some sports shooters (e.g., IDPA, IPSIC, etc.), it's geared more toward helping combat shooters (police, military, etc) prepare for the stresses of shooting under physical stress.